Coin-guiding device in coin wrapper

ABSTRACT

In a coin wrapper, a guide member receives and supports a stack of coins and guides the same into position between wrapping rolls to be rotated thereby as a wrapping paper strip is wound around the stack, and projecting upper and lower lateral edges of the paper are folded in over the ends of the stack, the guide member being actuated in horizontal and vertical movements by actuating means and being adjustably positioned in elevational height by positioning means in a manner such the projecting upper and lower lateral edges of the paper are substantially of equal width.

United States Patent [1791 Hatanaka [451 Dec. 4, 1973 COIN-GUIDING DEVICE IN COIN WRAPPER [75] Inventor: Yoshihiro Hatanaka, Himeji-shi,

Japan [73] Assignee: Glory Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha,

l-lyogo-ken, Japan [22] Filed: June 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 263,288

3,412,524 11/1968 Nostell et a1 53/212 3,608,271 9/1971 Pilat 53/212 Primary ExaminerTravis S. McGehee Assistant Examiner-John Sipos Attorney-John C. Holman et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT In a coin wrapper, a guide member receives and supports a stack of coins and guides the same into position between wrapping rolls to be rotated thereby as a wrapping paper strip is wound around the stack, and projecting upper and lower lateral edges of the paper are folded in over the ends of the stack, the guide member being actuated in horizontal and vertical movements by actuating means and being adjustably positioned in elevational height by positioning means in a manner such the projecting upper and lower lateral edges of the paper are substantially of equal width.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED 73 SHEU 1 [1F 5 FIG.

PATENTEUHEC 4:975

SHEEI 3 0F 5 FIG.3

Pmtmanm 4m SHEET 5 OF 5 FIG.5

This invention relates generally to coin handling and processing devices and apparatus and moreparticularly to a new and advanced coin-guiding device in a coinwrapping machine, which device operates to feed and hold stackedcoins to and in a wrapping mechanism.

I-Ieretofore, in an automatic coin-wrapping machine of the kind with which this invention is concerned, coins which have been sent out from a counting device are guided successively into an alinement cylinder and thereby stacked. In this alinement cylinder, a predetermined number of coins are alined in a neat and orderly stack, which is then dropped as it is and guided into a space between a plurality of wrapping rolls.

Then, as the stack is rotated by these wrapping rolls, wrapping paper paid out from a wound roll thereof is wound around the circumferential surfaces of the stacked coins. The upper and lower edges of the wrapping paper are then folded inward, whereupon the packaging of the stacked coins is completed. The coins thus wrapped arethen caused to drop under the force of gravity and thus guided'out of the machine.

Since the thickness of the stacked coins varies with the kind (denomination) of the coins, it has heretofore been the practice in using a coin wrapping machine of the above described character to change the wrapping paper according to the kind of the stacked coins and to accomplish wrapping by keeping the lower edge of the wrapping paper at a constant position and, taking this constant position as a reference datum, carrying out introduction, guiding, and holding of the stacked coins.

For this reason, in the case where various kinds of coins are to be wrapped through the use of one kind of wrapping paper, the width of the upper and lower edge parts of the wrapping paper to be folded differ, whereby inconvenience is encountered in the wrapping cannot be used for all kinds of coins.

SUMMARY OF THE'INVENTION It is an object of this invention to overcome the; above described difficulty by providing a new and advanced coin-guiding device in a coin-wrapping machine.

According to this invention, briefly summarized, there is provided, in a coin-wrapping machine of the aforedescribed character, a coin-guiding device comprising a guide mechanism having a guide member adapted to move horizontally and vertically and operating to receive and support a stack of coins and the guide the stack into position between wrapping rolls, a positioning mechanism for adjustably determining the elevational position of the guide member thereby to adjust the elevational height at which the coin stack is introduced in the position between the wrapping rolls, and an actuating mechanism driven by motive power means for coordinately operating the guide mechanism and the position mechanism.

The nature and further features of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, throughout which like parts are designated by like reference numerals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a coin wrapping machine illustrating one example of a coin guiding device according to the invention:

FIG. 2 is a relatively enlarged side elevation of the coin guiding mechanism in the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged perspective view showing an essential part of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating another example of the part shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged front elevation showing another example of a mechanism, including an electromagnetic solenoid, for setting the height'of a guide member, the solenoid being shown in de-energized state; and e FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the same mechanism with the solenoid in energized state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring first to FIG. 1 illustrating one example of a coin-guiding device according tothis invention and incorporated in a coin wrapping machine, coins which have been supplied to the top surface of a turntable l are urged radially outward by centrifugal force and thereby collect along the peripheral edge part of the turntable l. The coins thus gathered are scrapped off the turntable l by a projecting guide member 2 and directed into a coin passage 3, through which the coins are moved, successively one by one by an endless coindriving belt 4 disposed above and confronting the passage 3.

While passing along the coin passage 3, the coins are counted by a counting mechanism such as a counting cog wheel, and when a predetermined number of coins have been counted, the coin-driving action is stopped.

The coins thusdriven, counted, and discharged from the coin passage 3 pass through a elbow guide duct 5 and drop into a coin-alining tube 6to be stacked therein. This coin-alining tube 6 has an opening at its bottomwhich is openably closed at this time by agate mechanism 7 having members which can open horizontally to the left and right. The coins dropping into the alining tube 6 are thereby stacked as the tube 6 is subjected to a vibration by suitable means, whereby the coins are stacked horizontally in a natural manner without instances wherein coins stand vertically on end.

A vertical can shaft 8 rotates in intercoupled relationship with the above mentioned operation of counting the predetermined number of coins, whereby a cam 9 fixed to the cam shaft opens the gate mechanism 7 to permit the stacked coins to drop. At this time, a coin guiding member 40, operating in an inter-coupled manner with a gear 12 of a coin-guiding mechanism 11 enmeshed with a gear 10 fixed to the cam shaft 8, is stationed below the above mentioned gate mechanism 7, and the stacked coins are fed by the descent of this coin-guiding member 40 into the space between a plurality of wrapping rolls 13.

The coin-guiding member 40 is lowered at low speed, so as to reduce impact and thereby prevent the neatly stacked state of the coins from being disturbed, to a position such that the center of the coin stack in its height (vertical) direction and the center of the wrapping paper 18 fed to the wrapping rolls 13 in the paper width direction (i.e., the longitudinal centerline of the wrapping paper) coincide.

Then, with the above described mechanisms in this state, all or some of the plurality of wrapping rolls 13 move in a manner to squeeze against the circumferential surface of the coin stack. At the same time, a motor (not shown) is started by a switch (also not shown) closed by a cam 58 fixed to the cam shaft 8 and drives a wrapping paper feeding mechanism whereby the Veeshaped leading edge of the wrapping paper is drawn into the wrapping rolls l3 and wound around the cylindrical surface of the coin stack 15, which is being rotated by the rotation of the wrapping rolls 13.

Another cam 59 fixed to the cam shaft 8 then operates to cause upper and lower edge fold-inhooks 16 ahd 17 to move nearer toward each other thereby to fold or'roll in the upper and lower edges of the wrapping paper 18. By this folding in of the edges, the wrapping paper is caused to clasp tightly the circumferential surface of the coin stack, whereupon the coinpackaging step is completed. The aforementioned coinguiding member 40 then descends from the lower side of the coin stack thus stacked and wrapped and, at the same time, shifts toward one side, while the upper and lower fold-in hooks 16 and 17 also retract upward and downward. The wrapped coin stack is thereby released and drops to be guided out along a guide chute 19.

Referring next to FIGS. 2 and 3, the coin-guiding mechanism 11 will be described in detail. A cam 21 for actuating the guiding member is fixed to a horizontal rotating shaft-20 provided with the aforementioned gear 12 enmeshed with the gear of the cam shaft 8. This cam 21 has a peripheral cam surface and a side or flank can surface which are engaged and followed by a pin 22 fixed to and projecting from an upper support bar 23, which is substantially horizontal.

One end of the upper support bar 23 is pivotally connected to an upper part of a vertical rotatable shaft 63, while one end of a lower support bar-24 is pivotally connected to a lower part of the same shaft 63. This lower support bar 24 is substantially parallel to and of the same length as the upper support bar 23. The other ends of these bars 23 and 24 are pivotally connected respectively to upper and lower parts of a vertical supporting guide bracket 27. Thus, the upper support bar 23, the lower support bar 24, the shaft 63, and the bracket 27 constitute a parallel four-bar linkage.

The rotatable shaft 63 is rotatably supported at its upper and lower ends by bearing members 25 and 26.

As the above mentioned pin 22 of the upper support bar 23 follows the peripheral cam surface of the cam 21, the bar 23 is caused to rotate about its pivotal connection with the shaft 63. At the same time, as the pin 22 follows the side cam surface of the cam 21, the rotatable shaft 63 is caused to rotate, and the bar 23 swings in a horizontal direction about axis of the shaft 63. This up and down movement and horizontal movement of the upper support bar 23 is, of course, followed exactly by the lower support bar 24, whereby the guide bracket 27 pivotally connected to the distal ends of these bars 23 and 24 is caused to undergo a vertical movement and a horizontal movement.

The guide bracket 27 at its lower part supports a mounting bracket 28 affixed thereto and having a horizontal flange, on the lower surface of which is mounted an electromagnet 29. This electromagnet 29 has a movable core 30, to the outer end of which is fixed an actuating bar 31. A rod 32 is fixed at one end thereof to the outer end of the actuating bar 31 and is passed through and engaged with a slot in a cam member 34 pivotally mounted on a mounting bracket 33 fixed to the lower end of the supporting guide bracket 27.

The lower edge of the cam member 34 is formed as a cam edge 36 engaged and followed by one end of a positioning lever 37 pivotally supported at a point thereof intermediate between its ends by a pivot pin 39 held horizontally by flanges 38 of the mounting bracket 33.

The guide bracket 27 is further provided with a guide member 40 comprising a vertical guide sleeve 41 and a coin guide rod 42 vertically slidably disposed within the guide sleeve 41. The guide sleeve 41 is mounted in a vertically movable manner on the guide bracket 27. The lower end of the guide rod 42 is in abutting contact with the upper end of a rod 43 fixed to and projecting upward from the upper surface of the other end of the above mentioned positioning lever 37. The upper end of the guide rod 42 can be thrust upward through and beyond a seat member 44 fixed to the upper end of the guide sleeve 41 for receiving stacked coins.

Furthermore, a guide member 45 is fixed to and projects perpendicularly from the lower end part of the guide sleeve 41. This guide member 45 is slidably engaged with a vertical guide groove (not shown) formed in the guide bracket 27 and thereby can undergo vertical movement. An actuating lever 46 at its distal end is engageable with the lower surface of the guide member 45 and at its proximal end if secured to a horizontal shaft 47 rotatably supported by the aforementioned vertical shaft 63. The actuating lever can thereby swing up and down.

Another lever 48 is fixed at its proximal end to the shaft 47, and a roller 49 rotatably supported on the distal end of this lever 48 engages and follows an operating cam 54. Rotation of the cam 54 thereby causes the actuating lever 46 to swing up and down. Furthermore, a plurality of arcuate slots 50 are formed concentrically in'the cam 54 and are slidably engaged with respective stop screws 51 screwed into respective tapped holes in a rotating plate 52 secured to the aforementioned horizontal shaft 20. Accordingly, the operating cam 54 can be adjusted in angular position relative to the rotating plate 52 and the shaft 20 and then, locked in that adjusted position.

The operational position of the movable core 30 at a time when it is not energized is limited by an adjusting screw 62 screwed into a tapped hole in a bracket 53 fixed to the aformentioned mounting bracket 28.

The coin-guiding device of the above described organization according to this invention operates in the following manner.

When the predetermined number of coins of a stack to be wrapped in one package has been stacked in the coin-alining tube 6, the cam shaft 8 is rotated by a motor (not shown), whereby the rotation is transmitted through the intermeshed gears 10 and 12 to rotate the shaft 20. Consequently, the operating cam 54 rotates to push the-roller 49 and cause the lever 48, the shaft 47, and the actuating lever 46 to rotate in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2. The distal end of the actuating lever 46 thereupon lifts the guide member 45 of the guide sleeve 41, whereby the seat member 44 on the upper end of this guide sleeve 41 is brought into the proximity of the lower side of the gate mechanism 7.

When the gate mechanism 7 is opened by the operation of the cam 9, the coin stack is placed in its stacked state on the seat member 44. Then, as the operating cam 54 rotates further, the roller 49 passes the peak of the cam lobe, and the lever 48 reverses its rotation to turn in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2. Consequently, the actuating lever 46 also rotates in the counterclockwise direction, and the guide sleeve 41 gradually descends, whereby the coin stack on the seat member 44 is introduced into the space between the wrappin rolls 13.

At the same time, the cam 21 operates to lift the upper support bar 23 counter to the direction of the force of the spring 55, and the guide bracket supported at the distal ends of this upper support bar 23 and the lower support bar 24 is moved to its upper position. Consequently, the upper end of the guide rod 42 is brought upward to a position below the wrapping rolls 13.

The rotation of the cam shaft 8 then closes a switch (not shown) to start a motor, whereby the wrapping paper 18 is sent out from its roll, and the leading end of this wrapping paper is brought to the peripheral surface of the coin stack. Then, as the wrapping rolls 13 are rotated, they are caused by the operation of a cam 57 to clamp and squeeze the coin stack and cause this stack to rotate. Consequently, the wrapping paper 18 is wound up between the wrapping rolls 13 and the coin stack with the center of the paper in its width direction, i.e., its longitudinal centerline, substantially coincident with the middle point of the coin stack in its height direction.

As the wrapping paper 18 is thus wound, it is tensioned abruptly and a part thereof at a predetermined distance upstream form the above mentioned leading part is cut by a cutter 56, whereby a piece of the paper for wrapping the coin stack is cut off from the remainder of the roll paper. When this piece of paper is wrapped around the peripheral surface of the coin stack, the upper and lower fold-in hooks 16 and 17 are operated by the cam 59 as described hereinbefore to package the stacked coins.

The rotation of the cam 21 then causes the upper support bar 23 to swing downward under the force of the spring 55, and, at the same time, the bar 23 is pushed in the horizontal direction. The shaft 20 is rotated against the force of a spring 61, and the supporting guide bracket 27 moves sidewise from its position below the wrapped coin stack. The rotation of the cam 57 causes the wrapping rolls 13 to release the wrapped coin stack from their clamping force, whereby the wrapped coin stack drops and is conducted out by the guide chute 19.

Then, as the cam shaft 8 rotates further, all mechanisms of the coin-guiding device return to their respective positions for the start of the succeeding cycle of operation.

In the case where relatively thin coins are to be stacked and wrapped, the movable core 30 is drawn in when the electromagnet 29 is energized and activated. This action of the movable core 30 is transmitted through the actuating bar'31 and the rod 32 engaged with the slot 35 in the cam member 34 to cause this cam member 34 to rotate in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3, against the force of a spring 60.

The cam edge 36 of the cam member 34 thereby causes the positioning lever 37 to rotate in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3, and the rod 43 pushes the guide r0d42 upward, whereby the coin stack is introduced into the space between the wrapping rolls 13. At the time of this operation, the coin stack is disposed at a position higher than previously by a distance equal to the length of projection of the guide rod 42 from the seat member 44. For this reason, even when a wrapping paper 18 of the same width as previously is used, the center of the wrapping paper in its transverse or width direction coincides substantially with the middle point of the coin stack in its height direction, and the upper and lower free edge parts of the wrapping paper to be folded inward over the upper and lower end faces of the coin stack are of substantially the same width.

Then, by intercoupling the operation of the electromagnet 29 with the movement of a knob (not shown) for setting the coin handling apparatus to the kind of coin to be wrapped, adjustments such as that of the width of the coin passage 3 can carried out simultaneously.

While, in the above described example, the guide member 40 is of a construction made up of the guide sleeve 41 and the guide rod 42, it is also possible to use an arrangement as illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein a vertical guide member 40a is slidably held in the supporting guide bracket 27 for vertical moment, one end of the positioning lever 37 being placed in contact with the lower end of this guide member 40a, and seat part is provided at the upper end of the guide member 40a.

Another modification is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein a positioning member 37a having a cam edge 36a is coupled to the movable core 30 of the electro magnet 29, and the lower end of a guide rod 40b being disposed in abutment with the cam edge 36a, being disposed lower than its position at the time when the electromagnet 29 is not energized. Furthermore, the relationship between the descending positions of the guide member 40b at the time of energization and at the time of de-energization of the electromagnet 29 can also be changed in accordance with the frequency of the kind of coins. V

The adjustment of the lowered position of the guide member 40b is not limited to a two-stage adjustment as in the aforedescribed example but can be carried out in several stages in accordance with the kind of coins.

In accordance with this invention, the lowered position of the guide member which introduces the stacked coins into position between the wrapping rolls can be adjusted by a positioning member. Accordingly, in the case of wrapping through the use of wrapping paper of the same width, it is possible to aline the middle part of the coin stack in its height direction and the center of the wrapping paper in its width direction and thereby to cause the upper and lower free edges of the wrapping paper to be folded in to be of substantially the same width.

As a result, the edges can be folded in neatly and uniformly, and various coins to be wrapped can be wrapped by using the same wrapping paper. Therefore, economy and facility of operation are afforded in the coin wrapping apparatus.

I claim:

1. In a coin-wrapping machine wherein each of successive stacks each of a specific number of coins is introduced with vertical orientation into position between wrapping rolls to be rotated thereby as a strip of wrapping paper is wrapped around the cylindrical surface of the stack, and projecting upper and lower lateral edges of the paper are folded in over respective ends of the stack to package the coins, a coin-guiding device comprising a guide mechanism having a guide member adapted to undergo horizontal and vertical movements and operating to receive and support said stack of coins and to guide said stack into said position, positioning means for adjustably determining the elevational positioning of said guide member thereby to adjust the elevational height at which the stack is introduced into said position, and an actuating mechanism driven by motive power means for coordinately operating said guide mechanism and said positioning means.

2. A coin-guiding device according to claim 1 in which said guide mechanism comprises said guide member and actuating means for actuating the guide member in said horizontal and vertical movements, and said positioning means comprised a positioning member coupled to said guide member and electromagnetic means for adjustably actuating and setting said positioning member.

3. A coin-guiding device according to claim 2 in which said electromagnetic means is intercoupled with coin selection means in said coin-wrapping machine for selecting the kind of coin in said stack thereby to adjustably set said elevational height and thereby to cause said projecting lateral edges of the paper to be of substantially equal width in the paper width direction. 

1. In a coin-wrapping machine wherein each of successive stacks each of a specific number of coins is introduced with vertical orientation into position between wrapping rolls to be rotated thereby as a strip of wrapping paper is wrapped around the cylindrical surface of the stack, and projecting upper and lower lateral edges of the paper are folded in over respective ends of the stack to package the coins, a coin-guiding device comprising a guide mechanism having a guide member adapted to undergo horizontal and vertical movements and operating to receive and support said stack of coins and to guide said stack into said position, positioning means for adjustably determining the elevational positioning of said guide member thereby to adjust the elevational height at which the stack is introduced into said position, and an actuating mechanism driven by motive power means for coordinately operating said guide mechanism and said positioning means.
 2. A coin-guiding device according to claim 1 in which said guide mechanism comprises said guide member and actuating means for actuating the guide member in said horizontal and vertical movements, and said positioning means comprised a positioning member coupled to said guide member and electromagnetic means for adjustably actuating and setting said positioning member.
 3. A coin-guiding device according to claim 2 in which said electromagnetic means is intercoupled with coin selection means in said coin-wrapping machine for selecting the kind of coin in said stack thereby to adjustably set said elevational height and thereby to cause said projecting lateral edges of the paper to be of substantially equal width in the paper width direction. 